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Language:
English
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Published:
2020-07-23
Completed:
2020-07-23
Words:
1,026
Chapters:
3/3
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10
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59
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Swords of Protection

Summary:

“You are given a sword, and you break the sword, and it turns out the true sword was inside you all along, and it all seems just a little bit familiar.”

She-Ra as a fragment of the Utena multiverse (well-established with the anime, the manga, and the movie all taking very different paths).

Chapter 1

Chapter Text

You’ve always been drawn to her, in the last life, in this one, in the dozens? hundreds? that came before.

You are an orphan again, but this time you can’t even remember your family, and besides, your classmates are the best family you can ask for. Cohort. Your cohort is the best family you can ask for. And for once, you don’t need to find her. She’s right there.

But it takes you too long to see what’s happening to her. Too long, because once again it turns out you’ve been fighting for the wrong side, and so of course you leave.

It doesn’t occur to you, it doesn’t occur, that Anth– that Catr– that she wouldn’t follow you this time.

You are given a sword, and you break the sword, and it turns out the true sword was inside you all along, and it all seems just a little bit familiar.

you don’t remember the past lives, that would drive anyone mad, and yet your soul can feel the rhythm, the consistency across incarnations, though the melody and harmony have changed

It’s an uncomfortable feeling, knowing that you’re going to do the right thing

you’re going to do the right thing

you’re going to do the right thing

even if it means you lose her. Because it’s not worth being with her if you lose yourself.

And so you find yourself transforming into the Pri– into She– into the one with the power to win. Not the power to fight; the power to overcome any obstacle by the blade of the sword. Doing what is right, the only way you know how.

And so you find yourself fighting through illusions that seem real, fighting against foes that linger from the past, fighting battles in the sky. When it comes down to it you have to rescue her after all—it’s not the smart decision but it is the right one.

And so you find yourself sword in hand (in hand, you are not going to fail now) walking to your doom. No one has taken the sword this time, and yet some part of you is aware, now, far too late, that you have perhaps been used just as much as before.

It is only there, at the very edge of your life, that you realized how little you understand her…and yet she came for you anyway. She was the one to reach in and pull you out of your coffin.

Chapter 2

Chapter Text

She was always the best, and she never realizes it. The way she aces the competitions—no, not all tests, but all of them that she’s good at. The way others look up to her.

She doesn’t see the stares she gets with you alongside her. Why would someone like her spend time with someone like you? But she doesn’t see it and you’re secretly grateful; if she knew it might hurt her, and you don’t want that.

If she knew she might leave, and you don’t want that.

There are no Swords in your heart, here, but before you realize you’ve forged your own—guided by the one called Shadow Weaver, but the voice is your own. Still, at least Uten– Ador– at least she’s there with you.

Until she isn’t.

It was your fault she was lost, and that was bad enough. But when you found her again, you couldn’t stop the swelling of joy. Couldn’t stop thinking maybe, this time, it’ll be all right. And then she left.

She left.

She didn’t choose you.

Nobody chooses you.

Nobody chooses you. They always choose him.

Maybe there’s a reason.

With Ado– Ute– with her gone, you decide to play the game. Betrayal. Power. It’s easy, actually, once you get started—you’ve been the manipulator before, and this time you reap the rewards. It’s a rush. It’s heady. It’s—

—empty.

“You’re a bad friend.”

It isn’t until he calls you “Little Sister” that you realize how completely you’ve been trapped. How completely you’ve trapped yourself, in following his path. To the point where you wonder if this really is him, after all. There have been lives with him in them, before.

He’s in your mind this time.

You prepare yourself for another thousand years, and once again there’s no reason to expect a way out. And so of course she comes, of course she does, and once again you cry out in your mind, stay away, stay away, don’t let him take you too. You don’t know me.

I’m not worth it.

Gods, you hate the power of friendship.

Is this what happens when you do “one good thing”? It’s been so long since you did good things. So long since you weren’t going to be blamed for it anyway.

but there have been others. thanks to her and even not thanks to her. she’s the one you can’t let go but there have been others.

So they rescue you, and take you back, and on the way you even find a connection you thought you’d lost forever. You get home, and it’s not home anymore (if it ever was). And when they turn to the one who abused you—who abused you and her—well, maybe it’ll never be home. Nothing new, but…

But then they’re going to sacrifice her. They’re going to have her walk up and take out her sword and die and none of them are going to do anything and that’s. not. okay. You already made her go through that, once before or more times than you can count.

You go after her. Because she could never see what was right in front of her. Because she’d do it for you. Because she has done it for you.

None of those. It’s because you want her, and it’s okay to want things for yourself. Something neither of you are good at, but you’re learning. You’re learning.

You love her. It’s because you love her.

And after…?

Well, at least there is an after. One where you’re together. Where she can stop fighting, where you can stop fighting. Where perhaps, together, you’ll shine.

Chapter 3

Chapter Text

“Chu chu CHU!” says Melog.